The government has allocated an additional 350 medical school places, with the aim of delivering the future workforce the NHS requires.
Last year, the NHS set out its Long Term Workforce Plan, backed by more than £2.4 billion in government funding. It outlines how the NHS will recruit and retain hundreds of thousands more staff over the next 15 years.
One of the key commitments is doubling the number of medical school places in England to 15,000 by 2031 and levelling up the geographic training of places to help tackle unequal access to services.
In the next step to deliver this commitment, the Office for Students (OfS) has now allocated 350 places in the academic year 2025 to 2026 to medical schools across the country.
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said: "Our frontline health workers do tremendous work in serving the nation every single day and ensuring all of us receive the care we need.
"I know what a popular career medicine is among young people and it’s so important they have the chance to pursue their ambitions. With this expansion of places - alongside our new doctor degree apprenticeship - the opportunities for a career in medicine are greater than ever."
Amanda Pritchard, Chief Executive of NHS England, said: "This is a hugely important moment for the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan and marks one of the first steps towards our ambition to train more doctors in England than ever before - the record expansion will help us boost care for patients right across the country.
"The ambitious blueprint for our workforce, is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to put NHS staffing on a sustainable footing, particularly as we continue to adapt to new and rising demand for health services."
